Far

UNSF TASK FORCE COMMAND BUILDING
15:34 SET
2195

In the Explorer’s real universe, where a much more powerful and influential UNSF was still intact, Admiral Beckerd Benson rifled through photos of a disaster area he had received only minutes ago.

The Imperials had struck again.

“Obviously the armistice they agreed to earlier in the year was worthless,” Commodore Cain noted, taking each picture as Blackbird handed them. “Where is this?”

“Sorra. Fourth planet in the Bodega System,” the Admiral responded, looking at the last picture. “They hit a logistics base there.”

“What does C-in-C Story plan to do about it?”

Blackbird took the photos from Cain and threw them on his desk. “Story is mobilizing the 4th fleet,” he said. “We’re going to play a little hardball with the Imps.”

“Now you’re talking my language.”

The Admiral rose from his chair and simulated himself a cup of coffee. “Meanwhile, no one has seen nor hear from the Explorer. Had they been where they were supposed to be at, none of this would have happened.” He gestured to the stack of pictures on his desk.

“When was the last time they were seen?” Cain asked, leaning forward in one of Blackbird’s guest chairs.

“They left to test the new superluminal drive,” Blackbird responded, heading for his communications terminal. “Lisa, any word from command?”

Commander Lisa Hayes’s face appeared on the screen. “No word from the Explorer on any channels sir.
A recon ship has been sent out along their last known route. Other than a dying star that wasn’t on any of our maps, they have found nothing unusual.”

“Is that it?”

“The Explorer-A is being pulled from the investigation and is heading for the mobilization point.”

“Thank you, Commander. Keep me informed.”

“Aye, Captain.”

“How did you know to come after us?” Mansel asked Lieutenant Commander Broadaway.

The Explorer’s helmsman shrugged. “Talaj reported a lot of unusual ship activity near Earth, a few ships converging on one spot. We went to see what the was going on.” Mansel nodded, thankful for his workaholic Science officer.

“A direct assault on Maradine isn’t the answer,” said the alternate Blackbird at the meeting that was being held on the Explorer.

After they had all come to, they had been checked out and cleared in Sickbay. Resting for a day, the four returned to duty status. Feeling well rested, they were back to the drawing board.

After the shuttle had made its suicide dive into the Explorer’s waiting bay, the two ships promptly headed for a suitable hiding place. Mansel was beginning to feel like a bandit, always in hiding.

“If not a direct assault,” asked Commander Vaughn, “then what?”

The meeting room was packed, filled with the senior staffs of both ships. It had been generally decided that a consensus needed to be reached, and quick.

“First, we should find out Maradine’s plans for taking Australia and South America,” said Lieutenant Commander Serena. “From there, we formulate a plan on how to stop it. That’s what we’re here to do, after all.”

“How do you propose we do that,” Captain Ordese asked from his spot at the table. “We’ve already seen that a small team can’t do it.”

“So you send in a smaller team,” the Chief of Security retorted.

“You?”

“Why not? I’ll slip in, find out his plans, and slip out.”

“It’s not as easy as ‘slip in and slip out,’ Serena,” Vaughn pointed out. “On top of the motion sensor alarms, the place is bound to be swarming with guards now. This is what people like Stealth Squadron handle.”

“You forget, Commander,” the Chief of Security stated, “that I once was a member of Stealth Squadron for a short stint.”

“Indeed,” said Mansel, puzzling over the possibility of sending in Serena alone. “Captain?”